we crave a different kind of buzz
by humphreydumpty
Summary: Briar fills her life with diets and partying. What she doesn't realize is that she is a downward spiral. /Life's great without a care, we ain't caught up in your love affair./ Trigger Warning for Eating Disorder.
1. you can call me queen bee

Ok so big TW warnings here. Eating disorders, Drugs and Alcohol. (So don't keep reading if you are triggered by any of this. Also, warn me if this ff has to be turned M rated or something c: )

* * *

Briar can immediately feel the rush hit her, her heartbeat accelerating at an incredible rate. Everything feels fuzzy, but the good kind that Briar likes. The kind that gives her this amazing sensation that nothing matters, that calories or looking good or school don't matter anymore. It is amazing how a tiny blue pill can make people feel so careless, so free.

Briar continues to dance to the beat of the catchy party song playing in the background, her hips swaying with the rhythm of the music. If her mother knew she was here, in an underground club at a party where she knew no one, she would be grounded for her whole life. Luckily, Apple's parents were hosting a feast and Briar quickly lied, saying that she was sick so they could let her stay "home". She loved her best friend Apple, but she was not going to miss_ this_ party. It was her only free weekend for a while, and she was not going to waste it in a boring feast. The Apple's had feasts like in every special occasion, and for Briar it was a little bit worrying. Those people were too in love with feasts; Briar could swear they even invented special occasions for an excuse to host one. Who celebrated "National Day of Magic Jellybeans.", anyway?

Briar kept dancing with a random stranger, sweat rolling off her body. For one night she could forget about everything. If she was going to sleep for a very long time she might live everything she can while still awake. "You are so beautiful." The stranger whispered in her neck, sending shivers down Briar's spine. She closed her eyes as the stranger proceeded to kiss her neck slowly.

"If you leave a mark, I will kill you." Briar said jokingly, and the stranger laughed.

"How am I going to show the other boys here that you are my girl?"

"Well, you aren't." Briar moved her neck, leaving the stranger hanging. She smiled sweetly, and walked away. She couldn't stand assholes that thought they owned girls.

The night went on like this until three of the morning; Briar kept flirting and dancing with strangers, blurs in the night covered with sweat and alcohol. She made out with a few guys and would leave them hanging when they wanted to get more intimate. She wasn't ready for that yet.

Briar took a taxi cab back home, giving the driver an overly generous payment. She quickly climbed out of the car, only to find the door of her house locked. _God, these things only happen to me._ Briar thought, groaning at her situation. Where was luck when she needed it? She had to find a solution quick or her parents were going to behead her. She quickly decided to crash one of her friend's room for the night, under the pretext that she wanted to have a sleepover or some lame excuse. Most of them were at the White's feast, so Briar had to find a friend that wasn't a royal. She could pick Blondie, but the girl wasn't really reliable. Blondie was her friend and anything, but could she be one hundred percent certain this situation wasn't going to appear on the next MirrorCast? No. She then decided Cupid, who she started getting closer with after the awesome True Hearts Day party they planned. She took her phone out and dialed the number.

"Hello?" A groggy voice at the end of the other line asked, and Briar realized she probably woke Cupid up. _Oh well. _

"Hi Cupid, it's Briar. I wouldn't wake you up if this wasn't very important."

"Briar, it's three in the morning, it better be worth it." An annoyed voice at the other end of the line said.

"Ok, sorry for waking you up but I need to crash into your house for the night please."

"Wait, why?"

"Can I come over or not?" Briar asked, getting a bit impatient.

"Ok, sure but Eros is asleep, so you kind of have to climb through the window. I'll text you the direction." Cupid said, a bit confused at Briar's antics. "You better explain this."

"'Kay, I'll be there in five." Briar said before hastily hanging up.

* * *

"Ok, you have lots to explain Briar."

"Hello to you too, Cupid."

"Don't avoid the explanation. You show up at my house at three in the morning looking _and smelling _like trash and you expect me to be all chill." Cupid was worried about her friend's state, she looked like a mess. Her dress was to short, her tights were ripped and she smelt like stale alcohol.

"Hey, calm down I was just at a harmless party. Nothing to fret about. I left my keys inside the house and got locked outside."

A few moments of silence passed between the girls, Cupid at a loss of words. She knew Briar loved parties, but she had never seen her like_ this_. But, she also knew that Briar was a strong girl that could handle herself. And if she said that everything was okay, Cupid believed her.

"Where can I put my stuff?" Briar asked, breaking Cupid's thoughts.

"There." Cupid quietly said, pointing to a corner in her open closet. Briar took off her tights and set the down with her shoes and glasses. "I can lend you some pajama pants if you want." Cupid added.

"No, it's okay." Briar smiled. "I wouldn't fit in your clothing anyways." She mumbled. Cupid heard her, but acted as if she didn't. Briar probably meant to say that to herself.

"You can sleep in my bed; there is enough space for both of us." Cupid patted down a spot next to her, and after tying her hair into a bun, Briar joined her.

When the brunette girl got closer, Cupid could really smell the alcohol in the air. She had never tasted alcohol before, and she was slightly curious to know the appeal. Her first big scale party had been the True Hearts Day one, and she wanted to really see why her classmates loved parties so much. Cupid turned around and saw that Briar was already asleep, so she turned off the lights.

* * *

The next morning, Cupid woke up and found the bed empty. A note was resting in the spot her friend was occupying last night. _What a cliché_. Cupid thought as she started down at the note.

|thanks cupid! im sorry i couldn't stay for breakfast or something, but i had to dash. anyway im not fun when hungover so you saved yourself from my terrible headaches.|

Cupid chuckled slightly at the last part before throwing the note away, she didn't want her father to find it or something. She slightly panicked when she hear a knock on the door, she hadn't clean her alcohol smelling sheets yet.

"Dad, I'll be down in a few minutes I'm getting changed!" Cupid lied, quickly hauling the sheets out of bed and into the bathroom.

A few roads away, Briar was nursing the most horrible hangover. She had the ability to disguise a hangover from her parents, but not to cure it. Her head was pounding, and her mouth tasted like a concoction of the things she consumed last night.  
_  
__Briar, pull yourself together_. The brunette girl looked at her reflection, and was surprised at how horrible she looked. Her hair was all frizzy, her breath smelled horrible and her mascara was all smeared on her face. What would people say if they saw her like this, the daughter of the sleeping beauty? Would they still think she is a fit ruler? That thought scared Briar. Not the people judging her, those meant nothing to her. But the ruling a kingdom one day. Was she going to be a good ruler?

After thirty minutes of hair brushing, teeth washing and a good shower, Briar was ready to go down and eat breakfast with her family. She changed herself to a simple but pretty loose dress. Today she was going to go back to school, and she had to look nice.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Her mother asked as soon as she saw her.

"I'm feeling a bit better." Briar pulled on her best fake smile. "My head is still hurting." _At least that's true._

"Sweetheart, do you want me to call your school and let them know that you are sick?"

"Mom, like I said I'm feeling better."

"Okay sweetie, I'll tell Charlie to bring you your breakfast."

As soon as the plates arrived, Briar stared down at her breakfast. Two strips of bacon (84), a serving of scrambled eggs (199) and a glass of orange juice (112). It was too much for the 150 calories Briar had planned to consume at breakfast.

Briar ate slowly, so her mother wouldn't suspect anything. Each bite was smaller and smaller, and slowly she finished half of her eggs. (59) She took one sip of her orange juice (19) and took only one bacon. (42).

Briar was very satisfied when she ate only 120 calories. Her mother hadn't suspected a thing, so everything was good. She cut the remaining bacon into small pieces and scattered them around the plate, making it look like she ate more than she actually did. It was a technique she had learned when she was little. Only then it was to actually get away with leaving peas and other _icky_ stuff, and today she was using it to hide her diet.

"Miss Briar, your carriage is here." The Beauty's family butler announced. Briar had almost forgotten that today she was returning to school after a free weekend. She was kind of glad to be out of home, at school no one could tell her what to eat or how much to eat.

Briar almost felt free in Ever After High, free to diet, free to party every time she escaped school and free to take her own decisions.

Ever After High felt more like home than ever.

* * *

Ok sooooo the first chapter is here. It is very short and rushed but It is kinda the prologue! So we get a pinch of what Briar's life is currently like. (Poor bby she is going to go through a lot!) I plan to update as soon as I can, but I need to know if you guys are liking the story. I hope you are because I put a lot of research and thought into this. Also, I am not in favor of any EDs or anything, and people who might we triggered do not keep on reading. Also I don't own Lorde's song Royals, Ever After High or any other thing that is mentioned/going to be mentioned in the story.


	2. lovers spit left on repeat

"Briar!" Apple White exclaimed with a huge smile on her face. "I didn't know you were going to come today. I thought you were sick."

"Oh, I feel so much better Apple." Briar didn't lie, she _was_ feeling better. She slept throughout the whole way home, and her headache was almost gone. "I'm so sorry I couldn't attend your feast tough."

"It's okay, health always comes first. I'm so glad you are feeling better now." Apple looked at her friend reassuringly. "I'm going to go up and unpack. I'll see you at lunch."

"'Kay, Apple, see ya girlie." Briar took her bags and started walking up to the room she shared with Ashlynn. Ashlynn was one of her BFA's, but ever since the True Hearts Day party she was acting very weird around her and especially Apple. Briar and Apple both stated that they were going to support her no matter what, but Ash was still avoiding them.

When she arrived to the dorm, Ashlynn was not there. _Probably with Hunter._ Briar thought. She settled her bags on top of her bed, but decided to leave them there. She was going to unpack later, when she had the motivation to.

Briar sat down next to her bag. The first thing she did was obviously take her MirrorPhone out and post a new status on MyChapter. 'im back, hi lovelies!" She typed out and started scrolling down her friend's updates. Everyone was posting updates such as 'happy to be back at eah!' or 'I haven't finished my homework! Oh No.' Briar scrolled down mindlessly.

Fifteen minutes or so passed until Briar heard a knock on the door. She stood up from her spot and opened it.

"Oh, hi Briar it's me Cupid." The pink haired girl said before coming in.

"Hey Cupid, what's up."

"I kinda want to ask you something." Cupid said hesitantly.

"Ok… ask away." Briar knew this was going to turn into sermon time. Cupid did seem worried about her last night when she barged in into her house at like three am.

"Well, Briar… you know the other night." Cupid bit her lip before sitting next to Briar. She stared at the brunette girl for a long time, not really knowing how to continue.

"Cupid, you can ask me whatever you want, I don't really mind."

"You know how you arrived at my house, right?" Cupid stated. "Well, you arrived from a party, and…"

"Oh My Godmother, this _is_ going to turn into sermon time." Briar grumbled.

"No, nothing like that." Cupid stared at Briar, wide eyed. "It actually made me wonder how going to party felt like." Cupid's face turned pink, she is probably the only girl her age that has never attended a non-school party.

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, I have never been to that sort of party. I want to know what it is like." Cupid sighed. "And you know, getting drunk and stuff."

Briar couldn't help but laugh, the whole situation was too funny.

"You know what, forget it." The pink haired girl stood up from the bed, and started making her way to the door.

"Cupid! I was just laughing at how shy you are being." Briar stated. "But, if you really want to, this weekend we can go to a party."

"Thank you, I know it sounds stupid but I kind of want to really experience being a teen."

"It's okay girlie." Briar smiled at Cupid. She was glad Cupid and her were becoming closer, she felt as if her other friends were ignoring her a little with all the stuff that was going on. Ashlynn didn't want to hang out with her anymore, mainly because she was still unsure where here loyalties laid. Apple was too busy with the 'stopping Raven' thing. Cupid and Blondie were the only friends that actually had time to do things, and lately Blondie had been emerged in her MirrorCast.

"Okay then, this weekend."

* * *

It was time for lunch and Briar sat down with the Royals. She set her tray next to Apple's. When she saw Cupid walking down to join the Rebels, Briar patted an open spot next to her to get the pink haired girl to come.

Cupid was a little unsure at first, but she wanted to sit next to Briar. Dexter was going to seat with the Royals too, as always, and her stomach did a somersault when she realized that she was going to sit with the brown haired boy.

"So, how did the weekend treat everybody?" Daring Charming asked with his signature smile.

"It was a little bit of relaxation, with a little bit of fun. I was just-"Blondie started.

"Right." Everyone finished for her.

"Do I really use that phrase _that_ much?" Blondie asked, slightly concerned.

"We were just kidding Blondie." Apple laughed.

"Wait, where's Ashlynn?" Blondie asked.

"I think she is sitting with Hunter." Briar said.

"But, she knows that we will always love her, no matter what!" Apple looked very sad; her friendship with Ashlynn was so precious to her.

"I think we should give her some time to adjust to you know, being torn between her friends and her boyfriend."

"Yeah, you are right Briar." Apple hugged her. The brunette girl was very smart in Apple's eyes. She was always giving the best advice and was _sooo_ good at school, despite being a tad bit crazy. Not as crazy as Maddie, tough. The Mad Hatter's act was hard to beat, as Apple had never seen someone so blissfully happy and well… _mad_.

Briar glanced around the table and saw everyone was almost finished with their food. She hadn't even started eating yet. She stared down at her tray and sighed. She got a salad (125) and a sandwich (400), but she was planning to eat the salad on only half of the sandwich. 345 calories total. Not that bad for lunch. If she continued this diet as good as she was, she was going to lose those five pounds in no time. She slowly started taking a small bite of out her sandwich, drinking a sip of water between each bite.

Next to her Cupid noticed how Briar's lunch was almost intact, and was about to ask her about it until she saw the boy that sat next to her.

"Hey, Cupid how is everything going?" Dexter asked.

"Oh, hi Dex." Cupid blushed. "Everything is okay. My weekend was a bit boring."

"Mine was boring too." He laughed. "Don't tell Apple this, but her feast was very tedious." He whispered.

"A feast doesn't really sound exciting, I have just attended the ones that are hosted in my house, but they aren't anything unusual."

"At least you don't have to attend one every week or so."

"That is the good side of not being a Royal."

"Yeah, sometimes I wish I could just stop being a prince for a while." Dexter mused. "Not because I don't like it or anything, but because sometimes it's very dreary, like going to a hundred different evens and acting a certain way and stuff."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

"Wait, why are you sitting here?" Dexter asked and then realized how rude he probably sounded. "Not that I don't want you here! But it's just weird seeing you eat with the Royals."

Cupid laughed at the boy's antics. "Briar asked me to."

"Oh, I didn't know you two were friends."

"I guess we got closer after the True Heart's Day party." Cupid said. Dexter looked a bit sad after the mention of the party, he had missed on his big chance to tell Raven about his true feelings. The prince was still not over Raven, and Cupid was sure he wasn't going to get over her any time soon.

The bell ringed loudly, interrupting all conversations going around the table.

"I have to keep unpacking! I'll talk to you later guys." Blondie exclaimed as she excused herself from the table. Both Daring and Dexter left under the same excuse. They had arrived just in time for lunch but still had to organize their stuff. Slowly everyone left the Castleteria, some going to the library, other to their dorms and some just going to catch up with their friends. Briar left without saying anything, half of her lunch still on the tray.

* * *

As soon as she entered her dorm, the first thing Briar saw was Ashlynn and Hunter. Making out. Ashlynn's fingers where tangled in Hunter's hair, and his hands were resting on her shoulders. _Oh my Godmother, why_. Briar thought as she saw that the couple continued, not really noticing her. It was when Ashlynn started to push her hands inside Hunter's shirt that she knew she had to stop this. The brunette girl cleared her throat, and the pair quickly jumped apart. Ashlynn's face turned red quickly, and Hunter couldn't look at Briar in the eye, instead his stare was fixed in the ground.

"I would_ toteees _let you guys continue your super hot make out session, but I'm kinda tired." Briar said nonchalantly and flopped on her bed. Ashlynn was still scarlet red, her hands resting awkwardly on her lap.

"I think I'm going to leave." Hunter said uncomfortably, still not looking at the brunette girl. "I'll meet you later Ash." He said before leaving swiftly. Briar laughed at the distress in Hunter's voice, the boy did worry too much.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that, Briar." Ashlynn said politely with her usual calm voice. Her cheeks were still slightly tinted, and her dress was ruffled.

"Don't worry Ash, it's okay." Briar said. "Like, if I wasn't so tired I would slip out and let you guys continue whatever you were doing there."

After a few minutes of awkward silence passed, Ashlynn not really knowing how to answer or to continue conversation, decided to change the topic. "I didn't see you at Apple's feast."

"I didn't go because I was feeling a bit sick and my mom made me stay home." Briar had said the same lie so many times that it came out with ease.

"It was the usual White feast, so you didn't miss anything."

"Let me guess, super big golden chandleries, really elaborate desserts and lots of ribbons." Briar guessed and Ash nodded with a smile. "What were they celebrating now?"

"I'm not really sure, I think it was Ugly Duckling day or something. Or was it Magic Flower day?" Both girls laughed, the White's always looked for an excuse to have an elaborate feast. Briar felt good laughing with Ash again, seeing that after the True Heart's Day party, Ashlynn declared herself as a rebel and was a bit unsure as to where her friendship with the Royals were. But now, Briar hoped she knew that she could always count with her no matter what.

* * *

Ok, so this second chapter was kind fillerish. I just wanted to settle everyone in their dorms and stuff. Please tell me if you find any mistakes because I'll be glad to fix them! Also, please tell me if you have a particular ship you would like to see and if it makes sense with the story I'll make sure to add them. The same goes for subplots. I want to really thank the people that reviewed! You guys are the best. The next chapter will come out quicker, I promise.


	3. reeling through the midnight streets

The rest of the week went along very quickly. The students had minimal homework, and only one exam (Rumplestinkin's of course). Briar and some of her other classmates were all reuniting on the Café; it was Apple's idea for a way to kind of reunite the Royals and the Rebels.

"I'm glad you could all come!" Apple looked around, smiling at the people gathered in the table. Even though she didn't agree with the Rebel's ideals she wanted no animosity between the two groups. "I hope we take this as an opportunity to forget our differences and have a great time."

Apple had sent the invitations on Thursday. All of them were handmade and decorated with super cute stickers she spent lots of time picking out. Briar was supposed to help, but she fell asleep and woke up after lunch.

The students kept arriving, even the ones that weren't part of any group. The O'Hair sisters, Alistair and even Humphrey all came to the event. Briar was surprised at how many people Apple had invited; so many that they were occupying several tables.

Briar stood next to Blondie, who was documenting the whole event on her MirrorCast. Blondie had been documenting every event lately, and her show had gained a huge amount of followers. Practically everyone in Ever After High watched it.

"Here we are in the reunion organized by Apple White! Isn't it perfect?" Blondie said, and showed her followers a quick view of the place. "Oh! Briar, do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"Not at all girlie." Briar smiled at the MirrorPad.

"Let's start!" Blondie was awfully excited. "Ok, so do you know why Apple organized this?"

"Well, I think she wanted everyone to get along or something like that. I wanted to propose an awesome after party but Apple wanted this to be more an opportunity to mingle."

"Well, I think this opportunity is just right!" Blondie exclaimed before continuing. "So, Briar there's another thing that I know all my viewers are wondering!"

"Umm, okay?"

"We are all wondering how your romantic life is going! So anyone we should know of?"

"Well not really." Briar was used to Blondie asking these questions. Her viewers were always wondering what the Royals were up to. It was a bit tiresome, having to answer all those questions about everything she does. And it was not just Blondie, it was the whole magical community that had been coddling her since she was born.

"If you have any updates you know who to tell!" Blondie smiled at the camera. "Well, I think Raven and Cerise just arrived. I'm going to interview them so, charm you later Briar." The blonde girl said before standing up and making her way to the girls that had just arrived.

Briar moved to sit next to Cupid, who was in the table with Hopper, Maddie and Alistair. Maddie and Alistair were arguing about something silly, like they always did. Hopper and Cupid were just amused at the pair's antics.

"Hi people." Briar said as she sat down.

"Eh, hi, Briar." Hopper said with his usual awkward demeanor. Both Maddie and Alistair were too into their banter that they didn't notice the brunette girl that just took a seat in their table. "Mmm… What's, what's… cracking-" Briar knew that Hopper was about to turn into a frog, but to her surprise he didn't.

"Oh, it's working!" Hopper exclaimed and Cupid smiled.

"Wait, what?"

"Hopper is learning how to control his frog-turning thing." Cupid explained.

"When I feel I'm going to turn into a frog, I just try to think self-positive things." Hopper said. "At first, it was hard because I couldn't find anything good about me. But Cupid is helping."

"Yep! Oh, and before we continue this conversation, I need to talk to you Briar." Cupid looked at the brunette girl. Briar kept staring at Cupid, as to motion her to start whatever she was going to say. "In private." Cupid clarified and after excusing themselves from the table, both girls made their way to the bathroom.

After checking no one was in any of the stalls, Cupid locked the door. "Ok, so are we still going to the party tomorrow?"

"If you are still up for it girlie, then yes." Briar was not surprised Cupid was still going to go with this, the girl was really determined. "We have to sneak out of school kinda late when our room mates are asleep. But the sneaking out is not really the hard part, it's the sneaking in."

"I'm so excited!" Cupid really wanted to feel what being a real teen was. She had never even tasted a drop of alcohol in her life, and tomorrow she was going to experience it for the first time.

"Save all that energy for tomorrow, because trust me, you will need it." Briar had lots of experiences with parties, alcohol and _well_, even drugs. She had never done the super heavy stuff, but she wasn't a stranger to occasional pills. She only took them in parties, so it wasn't really anything serious. "I think we should go out before someone starts looking for us." Briar opened the door and exited the restroom, Cupid following behind.

* * *

The next day, Cupid and Briar were making their escape plan. In a few hours they would be out of their dorm rooms and into a party.

The first time Briar had escaped school was in her Freedom Year, because she had a huge fight with Apple and didn't want to sleep at their shared dorm that night. She couldn't really remember what the fight was about, probably something really stupid, but she could clearly remember how upset she was. Since that night, she had learned every way in and out of the school, and even the hours in which teachers stopped patrolling.

Her first hardcore party had also been that same year. A guy two or three years older than her had somehow found her number and sent her a text inviting her to a party. That same night she had her first kiss, with the same guy who invited her. Apple, Ashlynn and Blondie disapproved of this guy, saying that he only wanted to take advantage of her. Briar obviously didn't listen, and kept partying with the guy every weekend. They only lasted two months before the guy broke up with her.

"Ok, I think we should first sneak into the forest." Cupid had a map of the school resting on her lap. It had red x's in the places that she considered had a good escape route. "We can get ready together and we can leave together."

"I think that's a good idea." Briar was not really listening to what Cupid was saying. She was too lost in her thoughts to pay attention to the girl in front of her. "Cupid, before we go I need to give you a set of rules."

"Rules? What for?"

"Parties are fun, but they aren't the safest environment." Briar had seen some pretty nasty things in parties, and had lived a few bad experiences herself. "Ok, so rule number one. Don't accept anything from strangers. Especially trips to the bathroom."

"That includes drinks?"

"Yes. Don't accept those under any circumstance." Briar continued. "Rule number two, if you mix drinks you will probably get the most painful hangover."

"What do I do if I get a hangover?"

"You ignore everyone, turn off your cell phone, rest on your bed and drink lots of water." Briar also had lots of experiences with hangovers, and they were the worst thing in the world. "Rule number three, don't leave your drink unattended."

"You should write a book with all this stuff."

"'Partying 101' _does_ sound like a catchy title."

"I think 'How to Party: A Guide for Clueless Beginners' sounds better."

"I think I'm considering becoming an author now." Briar smiled before continuing. Thank you Cupid for making me figure out what I want to do the rest of my life, well before falling asleep."

"You are welcome." Cupid smiled too.

"Oh! I forgot the most important rule."

"What is it?"

"Rule number four, enjoy the party and have lots of fun."

* * *

"Ouch!" Briar exclaimed after falling really hard into the ground. Cupid quickly put her hand in Briar's mouth, to shut her up.

"If somebody hears you then we will both get in trouble." Cupid whispered.

"I have been in and out of this school without anyone noticing, I don't think they are going to now."

"Wait, how many times have you escaped school?" Cupid asked. "I have only sneaked out for the True Hearts Day Party."

"I have been doing it since Freedom Year, so too many to count." Briar explained. "Everyone does it, I mean even Apple has done it."

"They should really improve the security of this place." Cupid noted.

"But there's no fun in that." Briar said. Both girls immediately halted when they heard a sound come from behind them. _Oh My Godmother, we are so going to get in trouble._ Cupid thought before turning around slowly.

To her surprise, it was not Milton Grimm or any of the teachers. It was Hopper, their friend. Cupid was very confused; Hopper didn't really seem the type to sneak out without a reason.

"Hey, Hopper." Briar said casually. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I was just walking around because I couldn't sleep." Hopper explained. "What are you two doing here so late, dressed like _that_." Hopper looked at the girls' party attire, especially Briar's. The brunette girl was wearing a very short black dress and super tall heels. Hopper felt his hands getting sweaty. He had always been attracted to Briar, even when they were children. His shyness had always stopped him from making a move, and even if he tried to, he would always turn into a frog.

"Like what?" Briar challenged with her eyebrow raised.

"So, so…" Hopper got really tongue tied, and not even the techniques he had practiced could help. He turned into a frog. He hated it when this happened; his curse was probably the worst one out all of his friends. He had just started to control it and he already failed.

"I think we should leave now." Briar sighed. She wanted to get to the party quick.

"We can't leave him like this." Cupid picked the frog up. As soon as she touched it, her hands felt really slimy. "We just have to keep working on your self-confidence." She told Hopper reassuringly.

"I think a gentlemen like me should accompany you two fair ladies to wherever you are going." The frog replied eloquently. "The time and your attire make it very hazardous for you ladies to walk alone."

"Cupid just kiss him so we can get over this." Briar was getting really impatient. After seeing her friend's irritated demeanor, Cupid puckered her lips. She quickly pressed her lips on the frog, and they felt really cold and wet. "Gross." Briar had a repulsed face. She was glad her story didn't involve frogs, or kissing animals.

"Ok, let's go!" Briar grabbed Cupid's arm and started dragging her.

"I still think I should go with you." Hopper stated. "I don't think you should go unaccompanied to wherever you are going."

"Hopper, we are not babies." Briar kept walking.

"Let's just let him go with us." Cupid suggested.

"Okay, fine. But we are leaving when I say so." Briar said. She was speaking with that firm voice that Cupid had never heard. "Okay?"

* * *

Ok so I was going to write the party in this chapter but I decided to split the chapters. That means you are getting two chapters this week. Yay! So there are a few things I want to address here so read it please. 1) Briar is being mean to Hopper because that's who Briar is. Like, she is really sassy and stuff (queen.) she will learn to warm up to him but much later. 2) The Hopper learning to control his frog thingie is not canon but I just figured out that he was very insecure and that if he kept that under check he might prevent turning into a frog sometimes. Like it's kind of a sub-plot I guess. 3) This (I was about to write episode) is longer so yay for that! I hope you all liked it! Thank you for the nice comments btw! I 3 you! This update was really fast, btw.


	4. just as deep as the pacific ocean

I'm super super sorry omg I'm actually the worst. I was super busy and I'm like the worst updater ever ok. Here's the story, tho. I'm sooooo sorry.

* * *

The party was definitely something Cupid had never seen before. Teenagers dancing to the beat of the music without a care, loud music blasting trough the room and the strong smell of alcohol.

"We should leave." Hopper said nervously. Briar rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.

"Shhh, we just arrived." Briar said. "Just relax and have fun."

"How can you have fun in a place like this?" Hopper asked, looking around. The smell was killing him, and he considered the party music tasteless and terrible.

"How can you not have fun?" Briar asked, and Cupid laughed. Hopper could be really persistent when he wanted to, but Briar could always win an argument.

"Fine, but I'm leaving in an hour." Hopper sighed. He always gave in, especially to people like Briar. He decided that he didn't have to drink if he didn't want to and he could keep an eye on Cupid and Briar.

"I' want to get a drink, so let's go." Briar said, pushing her way into the crowd. Sweat and alcohol mixed to make a smell so intoxicating, and Briar loved it. She found the kitchen and took three plastic cups from the counter. She took a random alcohol bottle that was sitting in the table and poured it in the red cups.

"Here you go." Briar handed a cup each to Cupid and Hopper. She took the third one for herself. She gulped it down quickly, and it burned her throat and mouth. She felt a bit of a buzz immediately, and she loved it. She then noticed that Cupid and Hopper were both staring at their drinks, not sure if they should drink or not.

"Okay, are you going to drink or not?" Briar asked. Cupid took a small sip from her drink and started coughing. The taste was too strong for her mouth. Briar couldn't help but laugh at how cute she was being. "Drink it quick, it'll burn less." Briar explained and Cupid chugged her drink quickly.

"I'm not drinking." Hopper said, returning his drink to Briar.

"Suit yourself." Briar replied and drank the drink Hopper just handed her. "Let's go to the dance floor." Briar took Cupid and Hopper by the wrist and dragged them to the center of the house.

The air was thick, and you could smell the sweat mixing with the alcohol. Bodies were dancing against other bodies, letting their worries behind. Hopper could barely breathe, and he really wanted to leave. He knew staying was a bad idea, but he wasn't going to let both girls alone tonight.

Briar closed her eyes and started dancing. Her hips swayed to the rhythm of the music, and Hopper couldn't help but stare. Briar was looking so beautiful to him. Her messy hair tossed to the side in an unkempt but still gorgeous way, her face flushed and her perfect eye-lashes, it was all almost too much for Hopper.

"Briar?" Cupid asked, and Briar slowly opened her eyes to stare at the pink haired girl.

"Just relax, have another drink if you want." Briar could sense Cupid's nervousness; she was like that too on her first party. "Go with Hopper and take another drink, it will help you get in the party mood."

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave you here alone." Hopper argued.

"I can handle myself, I'll be fine." Briar sighed, Hopper was ruining her vibe with his uptightness. She was so ditching him as soon as she could.

* * *

Hopper was staring at Cupid while she tried to pour another drink with shaky hands. He didn't know if she was jittery because of the drink she already had or because she was anxious.

"Are you okay?" He asked tentatively. He was staring to become more close to Cupid, and he even saw her as one of her friends now.

"I'm fine." Cupid said, managing to pour her drink. "I'm just not used to this environment."

"Okay, if you ever want to leave then I'll take you back to school." Hopper said. "I don't care what Briar says."

"You really like her don't you?" Cupid asked after drinking the contents from her red cup.

"I think she is really pretty, yes." Hopper had always thought Briar was stunning, and he had always dreamed of her when they were younger. But those days were gone, Hopper's feelings had toned down or at least that is what he told himself. "But do I like _like_ her? I don't know."

"You two would make a really cute couple." Cupid giggled. She was really feeling this second drink. Her mind was kind of fuzzy and she felt like her knees were kind of weak.

"Ok, you are really drunk right now." Hopper chuckled. "Briar and I wouldn't make a good couple." Hopper said.

"Yes you would, don't deny it!"

"Come on, let's go find Briar."

Meanwhile, Briar was locked inside a bathroom making out with some boy she didn't even know the name of. She was very drunk, she could even think straight. Hopper and Cupid disappeared a while back; they were probably having fun back there. She hoped they were.

She kissed the stranger with a passion that only came out in parties. The kiss was sloppy and messy, but Briar didn't mind. Briar clutched the guy's hair as he moved deeper into her mouth, exploring it.

Briar closed her eyes as the stranger moved to her neck. She hoped she didn't leave a hickey or anything. She didn't like the idea of explaining to Apple or Ashlyn where she was last night. The stranger shifted down to her collar bone and Briar felt shivers down her spine. She sighed, and bit her lip.

The random guy then moved his hands to the hem of her dress, as to take it off. Briar backed off slightly, panicking. No matter what her reputation was, she wasn't ready for anything more than a sloppy make out. She also believed her first time was going to be special, with her predetermined prince.

"Come on babe." The guy slurred out.

"I have to leave, my friends are waiting for me." Briar said, panicking slightly. The guy grabbed her wrist forcefully.

Briar tried to stand up, but the guy proved to be stronger than her. "Let' me go." She said, trying to pry her wrist away. The guy wouldn't budge, and Briar impulsively punched him in the nose as hard as she could with her free hand. She wasn't too strong, but the impact was enough to make the guy groan in pain.

After cursing loudly the guy let her go, and Briar dashed outside of the bathroom and down the stairs, as fast as she could. She needed to find Cupid and Hopper and they needed to leave this place as soon as possible.

She scanned the faces around, but they were all drunken strangers. She pushed through the crowd, but they were nowhere in sight. She felt someone tap her shoulder, and she started panicking again.

She turned around and calmed down when she saw Hopper's big eyes. She sighed in relief, and noticed how a nervous Cupid was linked to his arm.

"Woah, are you okay?" Hopper asked, looking at the distraught Briar. "We were looking for you everywhere."

"I'm fine." Briar lied, and put on a fake smile. "Let's get out of here, I'm tired."

"Are you sure? You seemed a little shaky." Hopper said, concerned.

"Yes, let's just go home."

* * *

The next morning Briar woke up and her head was pounding. She was very used to this feeling, but she couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Cupid. This was her first hang over, and that one was always the worst.

She groaned and pulled herself out of bed. She knew she had to get up and act like everything was normal. Ashlyn was already awake, and she was getting ready for the day on her vanity. Briar couldn't help but admire how put together Ashlyn always was. Unlike herself, Ashlyn always knew what to say and what to do and she was always controlled.

"Good morning, Ash." Briar said groggily. She had few memories of last night, and most of them were fuzzy.

"Good morning hon." Ashley said, while applying eyeliner. Ashlyn sighed and set the eyeliner down. She turned around and looked at Briar. "I don't mean to mom you or anything Briar, but where were you last night?"

"Just chilling with Hopper and Cupid, nothing unusual." Briar lied. She was becoming good at lying now.

"You look terrible." Ashlyn said, not really sure if she should believe the brunette or not.

"Woah, thanks Ash." Briar chuckled. "Thank you for the ego boost."

"You know what I mean." Ashlyn stated. "You smell really bad, you know."

"I'm going to take a shower right now." Briar knew Ash was suspecting something was up.

"Briar, I won't tell Apple about this but please don't make this a habit."

"Okay, thanks." Briar said and she quickly headed to the bathroom, trying to avoid an awkward talk with Ashlyn. She knew she only looked out for her, but she didn't like the idea of being babied.

"Take care." Ashlyn said, but Briar was already gone.

* * *

Omg I update like a month late and with a short chapter I'm officially the worst smh at me. I didn't even check this chapter so I'm sorry if I have any grammar mistakes sorry bbys. I just wanted to update as soon as I finished it.


	5. the drinks you spilled all over me

Yeah so usual triggers apply? Drugs, Alcohol, Eating Disorders and Swearing. Hope you enjoy this chapter c:

* * *

The rest of the week flew by. Briar didn't really talk to Cupid or Hopper in the following days. She tried to avoid them both, because she definitely didn't want to hear any comments about the party from the pair.

"Hello! Briar, are you even listening to me?" Apple asked, sighing. The girls were walking to their third class of their day.

"Yeah…" Briar lied. Most of the time Apple trailed off, burning trough a million topics at the same time. It was hard to keep up with her when your mind was somewhere else.

"So, do you think I should wear white with red or red with white?" Apple asked. "Oooh! Or red and golden?"

"Mmmm…" Briar was honestly confused. She had no idea about what Apple was saying. "The three of them?" She offered and Apple just sighed.

"Briar, where has your mind been this past few days silly?" Apple giggled. "I was talking about a dress for the awesome party that's going to happen in a few days!" Briar got excited as soon as she heard the word party. But then she remembered it was an Apple party, which meant no alcohol, drugs or anything remotely fun.

"A party for what?" Briar asked, trying to act interesting.

"I thought it would be a good idea to have a little party to quell all fights between royals and rebels!" Apple beamed. "Milton thought it was a good idea too!" Apple was really excited about this party. Briar just smiled, not really interested at all. She liked parties where she could get drunk. Maybe she could even sneak something without anyone noticing.

Briar sighed as they entered the class. She wasn't really in the mood to discuss kingdom politics. She knew she would be a queen someday, but right now she could care less.

* * *

The rest of the day school day was uneventful, it was full of party planning (Apple couldn't contain her excitement- not even in class.) and boring lessons Briar already knew.

Briar sighed as she walked in the Castleria. It was time for lunch, her favorite part of the day (Not!). Briar grabbed a tray and stared at the options in front of her. She reached for the salad, with no dressing of course. She knew it would look suspicious if she only grabbed a salad, so she took one of those disgusting looking puddings. She wasn't going to eat it anyway.

Briar walked over to the royal's table. She sat next to her BFA, Apple. She was obviously talking about the party that was going to take place on Thursday, a days from today. It was weird to have a party on Thursday, but it was a school one so it didn't really matter.

"Hey Briar!" Apple said as the brunette girl sat down. "Blondie and I were thinking that we should go dress shopping tomorrow!"

"Yeah, I totally need a new dress for the party." Blondie said, smiling.

"I was also thinking we should invite Raven to go with us." Apple added. Even if they were going to be enemies in a few years, Apple hanged out with Raven a lot. Briar couldn't understand why, but Apple always had her reasons.

"That sounds great." Briar said. She wasn't really in the mood for dress shopping, or anything in particular but she decided to go along with it.

Briar zoned out of the conversation about punch flavors and party decorations. She stared down at her food. She took her knife and separated her salad in four parts. She was only planning to eat three, and scatter the last one around the plate. She proceeded to take the first bite. She only ate because she knew that she had to. She didn't want to eat. Every bit of her body asked her to stop. She had a hard time swallowing, almost like her body was rejecting the food.

"Briar?" A kind low voice asked. Briar looked up to meet Dexter Charming's blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Briar tried to smile, but it came out like a weird gesture.

"You seem kinda… I don't know." Dexter tried to find words to say. "Off?" He suggested.

"Off?" Briar questioned.

"Yeah, you are unusually quiet." Dexter noted.

"I leave all the party planning to Apple." Briar said. It was weird to have Dexter care about her, because they boy and her were never close. Dexter was one of her good friends, yes, but they didn't have a close relationship like she did with Apple or Blondie. Dexter was usually quiet, or talking to Cupid who occasionally sat with them.

"Yeah, party planning doesn't seem fun." Dexter said.

"Oh, don't get me wrong I love parties." Briar added. "It's just that school parties are boring."

"Yeah, I agree." Dexter nodded. He wasn't that big on socializing and mingling with a bunch of people he wasn't friends with, so he kept mostly to himself during events like this.

"I mean, the best school party was the True Hearts Day one." Briar said. That party was half organized by her, so it was obviously a fun one. As soon as she mentioned it, Dexter looked down. Briar had no idea about what had happened in the party regarding Dexter, but it was something he was not happy about.

Briar didn't want to push him to tell her anything, so she just sighed and took another tiny bite from her plate. She kept silent the remainder of the lunch, listening to Blondie and Apple babble about the school party. Briar only listened and wondered if there was a way she could make the party a tiny bit more fun.

* * *

The following days flew by. They were full of dress shopping and cake choosing. The party was going to be perfect, and Apple made sure all the details were covered. Everyone was going to be invited to the party, especially everyone in their school year.

Briar sat in her vanity, trying to get ready for the party. She was going to wear a black dress. It was uncharacteristic for her to wear something that was, well, not pink. But she didn't care, the dress was cute anyway.

Briar was combing her hair until she heard a knock on the door. Ashlynn stood up from her own vanity and opened the door, while Briar started heating her curling iron.

"Hey, Briar." Ashlyn said in her usually calm voice. "It's for you."

Briar stood up and made her way to the door. Humphrey Dumpty was waiting outside, a paper bag full of something in his hands.

"Here." Humphrey said, handing Briar the bag. It had a bottle inside. Briar smiled. "You own me, Briar."

"I actually thought you weren't able to do it." Briar said. "You impress me."

"I'm always able to do everything." He said, before leaving. Briar stepped back inside her room, and Ashlyn looked at her slightly puzzled.

"What did he want?" Ashlyn asked, she hadn't noticed the bag Briar was trying to hide behind her back.

"Something about some setups for the party." Briar lied. Recently, lying had become habitual for her. Ashlynn believed it and kept getting ready. She was wearing a blue dress. It looked beautiful on her slender figure, and Briar wished she could look just like that. Her wider hips and smaller legs looked ugly compared to Ashlynn's skinny body.

"I'm going to leave to find Hunter now." Ashlynn said as soon as she was ready. "I'll see you in the party, Briar." She said before leaving. Ashlynn used to be so close to Briar, but now it felt like they were just roommates. She only talked to her when she needed to, and Briar missed her BFA.

Briar finished getting ready. Her hair was curly and loose like always, only it was a bit less messy right now. She had her black dress and black really tall heels. She was one of the shortest girls, but these heels made her look like one of the tallest.

Briar shoved the bottle in her purse. She hated carrying big purses to events, but this situation called for that. She definitely needed alcohol if she was going to enjoy this party.

Briar walked down to the school gym. Most parties were held there, because it was huge. The place was already full, and Briar was ready. Everyone was already here, the O'Hair twins, Alistair, Lizzie and more. But no one was really dancing. Everyone was talking, mingling between each other.

Briar was about to approach Apple and Blondie, until a finger tapped her shoulder. She turned around to see Kitty Cheshire. She had her trademark mischievous smile and her hair that was usually in two ponytails was in a messy bun. Briar thought the hairdo suited her, it even made her look older and bit more elegant.

"Hi Kitty." Briar said, greeting the purple haired girl.

"I know what you have in your bag." Kitty said with a smirk on her face. Briar was mentally cursing Humphrey for being suck a tattletale. "And, I won't tell on you… if you share." Kitty said, smiling.

Briar weighed her options, and she decided that sharing with Kitty wouldn't be so bad. "Fine, I can share." Briar said, returning the smirk.

"Come on then." Kitty said, pulling Briar towards the back of the gym. She tugged Briar's arm with a force Briar didn't know was there.

Both girls made their way to the back of the room. "These parties can get super boring without the right company." Kitty said as she pulled out the bottle of alcohol from Briar's purse. "And by company I mean…" Kitty said then took a sip of the bottle.

Minutes flew by. Both girls were in the back of the room, the bottle between them. They hadn't realized how much time passed until the bottle was empty.

"Shit." Kitty said. "We are really wasted." She said, staring at the floor. Briar just nodded. She was used to drinking this much, but she had never done it before in a school party. "I'm gonna go find Lizzie." Kitty stood up from the floor, stumbling slightly.

"Yeah, have fun." Briar said before standing up herself. She scanned the crowd for a familiar face and found Raven, who was talking to Dexter.

"Raven!" Briar said, smiling at the girl. "I'm so glad I found you."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Raven asked with confused expression on her face. She had never really talked to Briar, only small talk here and there.

"Yeah, I do." Briar said. "Dexter!" The brunette girl said as soon as she remembered the prince was there too. "You two make such a cute couple!" Briar winked at Dexter. The thoughts in her head were being funny, almost like she couldn't think well. She just acted, no time for thought process there.

"Are you okay?" Dexter asked. He was used to Briar's hyperactive personality but she was acting strange now.

"I'm smaaashing." The brunette girl smiled brightly. She put her arm around Raven. "You have really pretty hair." She twirled her finger around Raven's hair. The taller girl was very confused, and she just stared at Briar.

"Yeah." Raven said awkwardly, she tried to pry of Briar's grasp but Briar was holding her tight.

"Briar, come here." Dexter said, frowning. He had seen this behavior before, coming from his older brother Daring. Briar let Raven go, but almost stumbled in the progress. "Briar, are you drunk?" Dexter asked seriously.

"Pshh, nope." Briar said. "That's just my smashing personality."

"Okay, let's take you back to your room." Dexter said.

"The party just started chum, and I am not going to my room." Briar pouted. Raven couldn't help but laugh at how childish Briar looked. "Look Dex, Raven is laughing!" Briar pointed at the girl next to her.

At that point they were being loud enough to attract a few stares. Some people just dismissed it as Briar silliness, but others knew what was going on.

"Yes, she's laughing." Dexter answered, a bit frustrated. "Let's go now Briar, before Apple sees you like this."

"Party pooper." Briar giggled, like she just said something incredibly funny. All eyes were turning to Briar, and everyone was realizing the state of the princess.

"Briar, don't make me carry you to your room." Dexter sighed.

"Stop being such a pouty face." Briar flicked Dexter's nose.

"Briar?" Everyone turned around to the source of the voice. A distressed Apple, with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe the whole situation. How could Briar do something like this to her? How could she do something like this to herself? Apple's lip quivered as the tears started to spill. The blonde girl ran out of the room, followed by an equally distressed Blondie.

"I screwed everything up didn't it?" Briar asked to no one in particular. She ran a hand through her hair. Slowly everyone started to leave, the hushing whispers of the students disappeared and the gym was almost empty.

Only Hopper, Ashlynn, Hunter, Dexter and Raven remained.

"Come one, I'll take you to your room." Dexter offered. Briar only nodded and followed orders. She screwed everything up, and she knew Apple was not going to forgive her anytime soon. She looked down; she didn't want to see the disappointed glances of her friends.

Because at the end, that was the only thing she knew how to do, disappoint people.

* * *

[BLAME IT (ON THE ALCOHOL) PLAYING ON THE BACKGROUND] … SORRY FOR SO MANY TIME SKIPS. I just didn't want to fill this chapter with unnecessary details. Briar can't stop making bad choices poor child. Also I feel like this chapter is a bit weird I mean I had it all pictured in my head but then it turned out weird?


	6. and i'm lost in my head

With school starting and everything I find it harder to find time to write! But finally I found some, so here's the new chapter.

* * *

Briar sighed as she paced around her room. It had already been a week and Apple couldn't even bear to look at her. She knew she had screwed up in a huge way, but her BFA not talking to her was too big of a punishment. The brunette sat in her bed, frustrated at her current situation. She had never felt as horrible as she did right now. It was guilt mixed with anger mixed with sadness. She was screwed…

A loud knocking interrupted the brunette's thoughts. She hoped it was Apple behind the door, so Briar could finally apologize to her for ruining her party and being the worst friend overall. But to Briar's disappointment it was only Hopper.

"Hi." The red haired boy uttered shyly. Briar just rolled her eyes. She was definitely not in the mood for this.

"Do you need something?" She asked rather rudely.

"I just wanted to talk to you Briar…"

"Okay then, talk."

"How are you Briar? You haven't talked to anyone since… the incident."

"The incident? Is that how you are calling it now?" Briar crossed her arms and glared at Hopper.

"No…" Briar could easily see that the boy was lying. "Okay, yes." He admitted. "But that's not the point, I just want you to know that we all care about you." Hopper placed a comforting hand in Briar's shoulder, but the girl just shrugged it away.

"I don't need you to take care of me!"

"Briar, you do need someone to look out for you." Hopper was beginning to lose all hope of a calm conversation. He knew Briar wasn't the easiest person to deal with, but he never expected her to have an outburst like this.

"Just leave my room." Briar replied coldly. "I want to be alone."

"Alone so you can drink?"

"Alone so I can rest!" Briar wanted Hopper to leave. She wanted to be alone so she could waste away in her solitude. Her friends didn't need her anyway.

"Briar, you barely eat, you haven't been to class in a week and no one knows where you go at night! You are a mess!"

"I know." Briar muttered and looked straight into Hopper's eyes. "I know I'm a mess, I know everyone hates me know… I know all of that." Tears burned in the back of Briar's eyes. She blinked a few times to avoid crying, but the tears still threatened to fall.

"I don't hate you, none of us do." Hopper's voice was soft and calm now.

"Apple does." Briar said, tears starting to fall. She didn't make an effort to wipe them away, she didn't care if Hopper saw her cry.

"No, she might be mad at you but she is also worried."

"I'm so sorry." Briar said, her tears now following at a much rapid pace. "I'm so sorry Hopper, I'm so sorry I'm like this…" The brunette girl sank to the ground and placed her hands on her face. She was sobbing now. Hopper had never seen her this helpless.

Hopper sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder tentatively. When she didn't push him away, he wrapped both his arms around her. "Everything is going to be okay." He whispered because he didn't know what else to say.

They stayed like that for some more minutes until Briar's sobs died down. "I'm tired…" Briar managed to get out. Her voice was strained from all the crying and her eyes were rimmed red.

Hopper helped her get up. Briar started to remove her dress, and Hopper turned around. Any other boy would have kept watching, but he decided to give the girl some privacy. He kept facing the wall until he felt a soft tapping on his shoulder. Briar had changed into her pink pajamas, and Hopper couldn't help but think that she looked very cute with her hair tied into a low ponytail.

"Stay with me…" Briar softly said. Hopper's ears and cheeks turned red at the idea of spending a night with Briar. Fifteen year old him would be rejoicing at the idea, but now he couldn't help but feel a bit bashful. He thought Briar didn't have that effect on him anymore.

Hopper just nodded at the brunette girl's request, and he waited for her to slip into bed. "I can sleep in the floor if you want." He said, and she just shook her head.

"Ashlynn has been staying to sleep at Blondie's or Apple's since the party." Briar motioned to the empty bed next to hers. "I'll sleep in her bed and you can sleep on mine."

Briar moved to Ashlynn's bed and Hopper to hers. "Thank you for doing this for me… I just didn't want to be alone tonight."

* * *

The next morning Ashlynn walked into her room to find Briar sleeping in her bed. At first she was confused, but her eyes darted to the other bed in the dorm. Hopper was there. She was glad Briar had someone in her life she could count with right now. Ashlynn tried her best to be there for her friend, but it was too hard. It was too hard to be around Briar and too hard to see her like this and it was _painful_ to see someone she had known since they were babies waste herself like this.

It was almost time for breakfast so she started to move towards Briar to wake her up but hesitated. She instead woke Hopper up. "Hey, I think you should start getting ready for breakfast."

"Oh… hi Ashlynn." Hopper's voice sounded groggy. "I'll wake Briar up, thank you." Ashlynn just smiled politely.

"Thank you Hopper, for all of this."

"It's okay Ash, I'm doing it for Briar."

"I wished I could do that to… take care of her." Ashlynn admitted while fiddling with a loose strand from the dress she was wearing. "It's so hard to be close to her, I just can't see her like this. She was so happy."

"I know that it's hard but we have to try Ash, we can't let her fade away." Ashlynn just nodded her head at this. She agreed completely with Hopper, but she knew she wasn't brave enough.

"I'm going to go to eat breakfast, I'll see you there."

* * *

"So, I was like this is so not _just right_." Blondie continued to tell her crazy story about the time she got lost in the woods when she was little. Everyone in the table listened attentively, wanting to know what happened next. "And then I thought I heard someone coming, but it was just a silly little rabbit!"

Everyone in the table laughed. It was good to have some distraction; everything they could think about was Briar and the stunt she pulled on Apple's party. The mood in the Royal table had been very sour up until today, were Blondie decided that she was tired of everyone acting gloomy and decided to entertain them with a story.

Briar sighed as she watched from a distance. They all looked so happy, and she didn't want to disturb that. She looked at Hopper who was standing next to her close to the entrance. "I don't think I can do this, I have to get back to my room." Briar was about to leave, but Hopper grabbed her hand.

"You don't have to sit with them if you don't want to." Hopper assured her. "Hey! We can sit with the rebels if you want."

"That is a terrible idea… I barely speak to any of them." Briar rolled her eyes at the boy next to her. "And Cupid is sitting with them today, and I don't want to talk to them."

"Well, we can just sit in an empty table."

"I want to go back to my room, that's it." Briar sighed and Hopper released her hand. The brunette girl turned around and left without a word. She was tired of Hopper acting like she was a baby. Last night she knew she let him in, she let him see her in her most fragile state. And she hated herself for that. She didn't want to let anyone inside her bubble, because if she let them in they had to see her at her worst. And her worst wasn't very nice.

* * *

Short chapter I know! I just wanted to update with something sorry! I promise I'll update more.


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